Fabulous Culinary Experiences

Changes...like it or not!

2009-06-29T12:11:00.005-04:00

Recently I have been reminded that change, may it be good or bad, will happen with or with out your permission. At the beginning of May my mother was diagnosed with an incurable cancer called Multiple Myeloma. It is a nasty, ugly, and unfair disease that I had never heard of, but now know more than I wish to. Since her diagnosis I have been faced with how very fragile life and relationships are and I have just not been myself. I started this blog for fun and to share positive experiences. Since I have been fairly blue I didn't think it fair to myself or you to share my lack of positivity. And, to be honest, I have not done anything even remotely interesting in the kitchen.

Now that the craziness of her diagnosis and treatment schedules have calmed down I have had time to reflect on everything and myself. I cook because it makes me happy, it relieves my stresses and it brings me the best feeling to share my food with family and friends. So, I have made a promise to myself to get back into the kitchen and stop feeling so sorry for myself! I have several recipes I want to try and with the long 4th of July weekend coming up, I think that now is a perfect time to get started. Stay tuned this weekend for some fun posts!

This Years Crop

2009-04-27T20:32:00.005-04:00

I know....it has been about 5 weeks since I blogged. Honestly I have not been in the kitchen too much as of late. I have been busy with work, friends, family, ect. But 5 weeks is way to long to wait to do something you enjoy, so I will make a strong effort to come up with interesting topics so blog about.

Over the weekend Peter planted our 2009 vegetable, herb, and berry garden. On this years menu we have an assortment of tasty treats that I can't wait to start using!

Tomatoes, both regular & cherry. We had so many tomatoes last year, I am hoping for the same this go round.

Basil. How can you grow tomatoes and not have fresh basil to go with them, right?

Parsley & Cilantro. Peter planted a curly variety of parsley, I normally use flat leaf in my cooking but we will give this one a go.

Thyme. I use this herb a lot, having fresh on hand is going to be great.

Green peppers. I love a green pepper, but honestly don't use them that often. Any idea's for recipes?

Last but not least, a blackberry bush. This bush was a spur of the moment thing, we walked by it at Lowe's and it seemed like a good idea. We will see how we do with it.

What makes all of this even more exciting is that all of our plants are going to be organic and they are planted in our very own compost! We love composting and recently just bought our second barrel.

It is amazing, truly amazing, how much less trash you have when you start composting & recycling. We used to fill up our entire trash can every week, usually to the point where the lid didn't close. Pretty sad when it is just the two of us and the dog! Now that we compost and recycle we are usually throwing away only 2-3 bags of trash a week! It feels so good to be doing something great for the Earth and to get great soil for planting!

Dim Sum Fun

2009-03-18T20:48:00.004-04:00

My most recent issue of Cuisine at Home arrived about 2 weeks ago. This is always a joyous event for me as it is usually doesn't disappoint. This issue the large article on Dim Sum caught my eye and I just had to try it!

Some of you may be asking yourself "what the heck is Dim Sum Emily"? They are Chinese dumplings that are filled with meats or vegetables. They are usually steamed or boiled and are right up my alley because they are like little snack foods!

After reading the article I decided that I needed to get a bamboo steamer. They did recommend a couple of other methods but for whatever reason I decided I needed to be "authentic". I check out Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target and couldn't find one. I was thinking I was going to have to hit up William Sonoma and spend a small fortune when a friend who was attending the same child's birthday party that day suggested the Cost Plus Word Market a few stores down. Am I the last person on Earth to know about this store? What a cool place! I didn't have a lot of time so I can't wait to go back but they had the steamer and some cool chop sticks for about $15.oo.

So...on to the actual food. I didn't brave making my own dough this time around, although it looks doable, instead I opted for the pre-made wonton wrappers and made all three protein dumplings in the article. Beef & scallions, shrimp, and pork potstickers. All three had a different cooking method. The beef was boiled, the shrimp steamed, and the pork fried & steamed.

The beef and pork were very good, the pork being my favorite. The shrimp was really not good at all, I found it flavorless. The dipping sauce of basically sweetened soy sauce was also very good.

Peter of course didn't care for any of them but kind of liked the pork. I do have to give him credit for trying them though.

I had a blast with this one, it had been a long time since I had taken on a challenging cooking project. A word of caution, you will need a good bit of time if you choose to try it. It took me about 3 hours from start to finish. Wrapping these little treats takes a loooooong time and it is not easy to make the cute little packages in the article pictures. They also seem to freeze very well, so that made the time worth it as well.

Stay tuned...

2009-03-11T20:53:00.002-04:00

I know I have been slack on blog posts in recent weeks. To be honest I haven't had much time to sit down and do it!!! I have a post of about the Dim Sum I made last Sunday in the works, so please stay tuned!

An ultra cool birthday gift

2009-03-01T09:23:00.005-05:00

On Thursday, March 5th I will turn 30 and I am amused at the comments I get from people that learn I have this milestone birthday coming up soon. Most people ask me how I feel, some groan and say I on my way over the hill, and some smile and say 30 was their best year ever and life has been grand ever since.

I am warmed by those that smile and say they loved turning 30. I do not have any negative feelings about turning 30, not a one. I feel that in my short life I have accomplished a lot of things, and still have a lot to do. I feel filled up everyday with the thought of how lucky I am to have lived this life and am excited for what the future holds. I have the best family and friends, both near and far, that a girl could ever ask for. I have a loving and hilarious husband that I love a little bit more everyday, a beautiful home, a stable job and a wiener dog that is more human to me than she is K9. Life is pretty close to perfect.

As I reflect on this birthday I have been thinking a lot about the person who was there from the beginning, my mom. Sometimes I think we are nothing a like. She is quirky, spontaneous, funky, and silly (just to name a few), and I have thought for a long time that I am none of these things. I am conservative, a planner, a worrier. However, the more I think about her I am reminded what a beautiful person she is and that I really do have all of those traits as well. My mom gave me the tools to be the person that I am today, she has loved me through the angst of my teenage years, the trials of young adulthood, and the joy of marriage. She has helped me find myself, and although I am sure she was frustrated more times than not, she has loved me fiercely through it all. It has been a great 30 years of being her daughter and I look forward to many many more.

So...you maybe saying to yourself, this is all very sweet Emily but what was the cool birthday gift? It is a small gift from my mom that is making me so happy! She has many talents, cooking is one and I got that passion from her, but the other is sewing. I can not sew a stitch and I am so jealous that she can! So for my birthday she made me these two really cool kitchen aprons.

I love homemade gifts, especially those that I will really use and I especially love that they came from my mom. I am looking forward to using them soon, hopefully this afternoon.

Here's to turning 30 and being excited, and to a great mom who has taught me so many life lessons.

Dr. Tyler's Chicken Meatball & Tortellini Soup

2009-02-22T17:33:00.004-05:00

I tried my first recipe from Tyler Florence's book Dinner at My Place over the weekend. Soup is one of my favorite things and as the cold weather is slipping away (fingers crossed) I decided I should make a big pot before the weather gets too warm.

The recipe was fun to put together. First was the meatballs. I made the bread crumbs in my miniature food processor which I have had for several months but have not yet had the opportunity to use.

Then in went ground chicken, milk, egg, parsley, and Parmigiano- Reggiano. The meat mixture is not very stiff and was hard to roll in my hands so I used a small ice cream scoop instead, made life a lot easier! The meatballs then go into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes until golden and cooked through.

The rest of the soup is the same as a traditional chicken soup. Carrots, celery, onion, thyme and parsley are added to boxed chicken stock and simmered while the meatballs are in the oven. The cooked meatballs and the cheese tortellini are added and cook for about 7 minutes.

Very good soup. My only complaint is that the meatballs started to crumble over the next two days. I think this one may be best enjoyed the first day.

Marietta Diner

2009-02-19T16:20:00.004-05:00

I am an Food Network junkie, and one Saturday morning I caught a quick minute of Diners, Drive In's and Dives. I had never really watched the show but I heard them talking about a place in Marietta, GA that sounded a lot like the "Greek" restaurants I miss so much from my home in Wisconsin. Don't be fooled by the word Greek. Although most of these restaurants have fantastic Greek fare, it referees to the people that own the restaurant who are normally of Greek descent.

Peter and I made the trip over to Marietta Diner last Saturday and I loved it from the moment I saw the sign!

There was a short wait so we had time to take a quick self-portrait and when we were being shown to our table we spotted the Diners Drive in's and Dives poster! Pretty cool!

I could not wait to try the Spanikopita that I had heard about on the show. Upon being seated I asked our waitress for it right away. Her response, "If it's ready." Ok.....I wasn't sure what that meant, especially when about 5 minutes later a table near us got a plate of it. I was craving that Spanikopta so much, but sadly it never arrived. Disappointing.

However, I recovered and enjoyed my Gyro. YUMMMMM!!!!! This is one of my favorite sandwiches ever and it was great. The Tzatziki sauce that came with it was one of the best I have tasted and I used it on my Greek salad and french fries. I couldn't get enough!

Peter had an awesome Bacon Cheese Burger (sans bacon, thank you again stellar waitress) that I wanted to eat most of as well but resisted and had only one bite.

The desserts lure you in as you are shown to your table. Huge cakes and pies call your name!

Peter enjoyed a massive slice of carrot cake and I had the chocolate cream pie. Both were scrumptious but the portions were way too big and sadly we could not finish them.

I highly recommend checking out the Marietta Diner (hopefully you get a better waitress). They are open 24 hours a day and the menu was fantastic! It really was hard to decide what to eat. The breakfast plates that went by our table looked especially good, I think I will try that next time we go back.

Boiled Eggs

2009-02-11T07:25:00.003-05:00

They should be easy, right? Not so. I find that I either over cook them or the shells are difficult to peel and I end up with a mutilated egg! At last I think I have found the solution thanks to my Martha Stewart Cooking School cook book, and by catching about 5 minutes of Paula's Home Cooking on the Food Network.

Here is my new method.

Place eggs in cold water with 2 teaspoons of salt (the salt is what I learned from Paula).
Cover and bring to a boil (the rest is what I learned from Martha).
Keep covered, turn off heat and let rest for 13 minutes.
Run under cold water to stop cooking.
Peel and eat.

Perfect every time.....or at least the 3 times I have tried this method!

Two blog posts for the price of one

2009-02-02T20:46:00.003-05:00

This past weekend I made two blog worthy recipes. Both were delicious and very different types of fare.

The first I made for Saturday lunch, Teriyaki Chicken Lo Mein. Lo Mein is one of my favorite things to order when going out for Chinese food so I thought I would give this one a try. Very easy and quick recipe, it took about 30 minutes to come together. My only complaint was that it was a little too sweet even after cutting down on the sugar. Next time I will cut it down to maybe 2 tablespoons.

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 1/2 cups water

4 (3-oz.) packages ramen noodles, broken into large pieces, seasoning packets discarded

1 (16-oz) bag coleslaw mix

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Simmer soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sugar, and cornstarch in large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking often, until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Transfer half of soy sauce mixture to large bowl and reserve. Add water to sauce pan with remaining soy sauce mixture and return to boil. Add ramen and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 4 minutes. Off heat stir in cole slaw mix. Cover and keep warm.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Transfer chicken to bowl with reserved soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Transfer noodles to platter, top with chicken and serve.

The second recipe was for Super Bowl Sunday. We went to the Gilbertson's to enjoy the big game. Everyone brought a dish to accompany the delicious ribs and pork shoulder that Jeremy cooked up. My contribution was a potato salad from Tyler Florence.

What I liked about this recipe was the dill. Lots of dill and dill pickles!! Dill is one of my favorite flavors and unfortunately I don't get to use it very often. The salad was good on Sunday evening, but it was GREAT for lunch this afternoon. The flavors really married together over night. I can't wait for summer cook outs to make this one again!

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-01-24T13:08:00.002-05:00

Chocolate chip cookies are some of my favorite. I am on the hunt for the best recipe, any suggestions? Earlier this week I made the traditional recipe on the back of the chip bag, they were good right out of the oven, but got crispy after they cooled. I prefer a chewy cookie so I was a bit disappointed.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degrees oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Sunday Brunch with the Ladies

2009-01-19T13:07:00.006-05:00

Yesterday some of my girlfriends and I had brunch at Traci's house. It was a great way to start the morning. We all brought something to share and I made a Steusel Topped Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake from ATK Family Cookbook (pg. 489).

An interesting tip given for this recipe. Have you ever noticed that when you add frozen berries to a cake they dye the entire cake their color. The recipe suggests that you run the frozen berries under cold water until the water runs clear to prevent this. Nice tip, worked like a charm.

The cake was delicious (as was everything else). Very moist and quick to put together. I am a sucker for steusel toppings and this did not disappoint.

Traci and Presley set a beautiful table complete with a full menu!

Waffle House Lattes made by Barrister Traci.

Vanilla Banana Shots & Fresh Squeezed Citrus Juice

Poppyseed Fruity Salad

Sausage Pinwheels

PMS Potato Casserole (the crowd favorite made by my sister in law Lindsey)

Drunken Ham Casserole

We all had such a great morning. It was fun to catch up with everyone and to see our friend Amber, it had been far too long!

New take on Lemon Spaghetti

2009-01-19T13:01:00.004-05:00

Last night I put together a quick and delicious pasta for dinner. Again, using things I had one hand I added to the Lemon Spaghetti recipe I posted about I think last spring.

This one had:

Chicken

Parsley

Chives

Peas

Garlic

Parmesan

White wine

Lemon

Butter (just a touch for richness)

I loved all the green in the pasta, it tasted light and fresh. Really good after having a had a big brunch (see next post) earlier in the day.

I have a real problem.....

2009-01-18T08:09:00.003-05:00

I love cookbooks! I really, really LOVE cookbooks! And honestly, I have way too many and I really don't use them all. There is just something about them, I can't get enough. My favorite are those that have lots of photos, they help inspire me to make my meals look just a beautiful!

Here are the books I currently have in rotation (I am too embarrassed to post the instead of the cookbook cupboard). I leave them on the shelf over the kitchen sink to remind myself to actually look through them and use them rather than only using my latest one which I have been known to do.

Yesterday, I feel off the wagon so to speak and picked up yet another one! Tyler Florence's, Dinner at My Place. There I was killing time at Barnes & Noble before an appointment and it called to me. I just had to have it. Not only because I really enjoy Tyler's shows on Food Network and have made (and really enjoyed) several of his recipes, but also because this man it sexy as all get out! I just love him! :-)

Does anyone else have this addiction or is it only me? I wonder if there is a Cookbook Buyers Anonymous group in the Atlanta area.....

The Clean Out Continues

2009-01-18T07:24:00.003-05:00

I am getting bored and am really wanting to do some serious cooking. However, I have set a goal and I will not allow myself to fail! My freezer and pantry are almost empty, I think by Monday I will be ready to hit the stores to restock!

This week the cupboards did allow me to make two meals that we both enjoyed. The first came from Cook's Country Magazine which I recently received a free trial issue from. Here is the recipe exactly how it is printed in the magazine, I made several adjustments which I will detail, but in case you wanted to make the real deal, here it is.

Cheesy Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Serves 8 to 10

2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 tbls. unsalted butter, melted; plus 2 tablespoons, chilled

1 garlic clove, minced

2 pounds broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stems peeled & chopped

1 onion, chopped fine

1 1/4 cup long grain white rice

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Prepare Topping: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13x9 baking dish. Pulse bread, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and melted butter in food processor until coarsely ground. Add garlic.

2. Make Filling: Microwave broccoli florets, covered, in large bowl until bright green and tender, set aside. Melt remaining butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion and broccoli stems until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 1 minutes. Stir in broth, half-and-half, and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Off heat, stir in cheddar, cayenne, remaining Parmesan, and broccoli florets.

3. Top and Bake: Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Serve.

So, what did I change? I added chicken. I think I have mentioned this before, but Peter does not believe you are having a meal unless there is some kind of meat. I disagree, however I was trying to make us both happy with this meal. I just cooked up 2 chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper. Nothing fancy.

Second, I cut down on a lot of the fat and dairy! I sprayed the dutch oven with PAM cooking spray and only used 1 tbls. of butter to cook the onion. I also left out the bread topping. Not only because I didn't have any bread in the house, but also because it really didn't appeal to me. So I threw the garlic in with the onions. I didn't have the cheddar cheese but I had about a half bag of shredded Mexican blend cheese so I used that and about 1/2 cup of fresh Parmesan. And I used frozen broccoli florets because that is what I had on hand.

We both really loved this dish! It was very comforting and gave the "feeling" of being really bad for you, but was only mildly as the creaminess of the dish came from the starch in the rice and not too much actual cream or dairy. YUM! I am sure I will make this again before winter is over.

The second meal that we like this week was a version of my slow cooker chili.....have I ever blogged about the real version.....I don't think I have....I will do that soon, it is YUM.

Anyhoo, I didn't have everything I needed so I just whipped up what I did have. I had some chunky stew meat, onion, carrots (not in the original recipe), diced tomatoes, Carroll Shelby Chili Seasoning (great stuff, I have been using it for years and always have it on hand), kidney beans, black beans and tomato sauce. I put it all on to cook and headed out to the office for the day.

When I came home we topped it with just a bit of shredded cheese and low-fat (really not as good as full fat) sour cream and enjoyed. We are just about done eating when Peter turns to me and says "Babe, this taste awesome." Me, "Thanks, I am happy you liked it I just threw it together." Peter, "But I have to say, don't get mad, that it kind of looks like Alpo". I about died!!! He was so right, hilarious! So although it wasn't very pleasing to the eye it really was delicious and helped to clean out a large amount of food in the kitchen!

Cleaning out the cabinets

2009-01-11T12:19:00.002-05:00

A goal that I set for 2009 that I didn't list in my previous post is to use up what food we have in the house before going to buy more. I find that my freezer and pantry end up full of things that basically become out of site out of mind. So this week I made two recipes using ingredients that I already had in the house (with the exception of fresh produce). Both recipes came from my cookbook of the moment, The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

The first dish I made was Skillet Ziti with Chicken and broccoli. Basically the recipe gave me more of an idea of what I wanted to make, but I made several adjustment to the recipe to make it a bit lighter and healthier.

The two major changes I made were instead of using the 3 tablespoons of butter that the recipe called for I only used one and instead of heavy cream, I used skim milk. I also used whole wheat ziti and added cauliflower and carrots. I am a sucker for pasta and this one was really good, I will make it again for sure.

The second recipe I made was Slow Cooker Chicken with Sausage and Corn. Again, I made just a couple of adjustments to boost the health factor. Instead of bone in skin-on chicken breasts I used boneless skinless breast and thighs. Also, instead of pork of beef kielbasa I used turkey kielbasa.

I love the convenience of my slow cooker(s) and this recipe was easy and sounded comforting. The addition of fresh corn was appealing as well. The dish was good served over rice, but it didn't knock my socks off. I found it to be a little bit bland. Peter added hot sauce which he said helped.

I still have plenty of things to use up in this house, I am looking forward to finding creative uses for all of it!

Too Much Chocolate Cake

2009-01-04T14:42:00.003-05:00

I know, there's no such thing! :-)

I was looking for a decedent, but easy chocolate cake recipe to make for Christmas dinner at my father in laws and ran in this one, which I loved because it allowed me to cheat a little bit and use a boxed cake mix! Shh....that's a secret!

Everything about the recipe made me think it would be rich, moist and decedent which is exactly what I wanted in a Christmas dessert so I also decided to make miniature cakes for some of my co-workers. There was one left over that Peter and I tried, which was good but not as moist as I had hoped it would be. I figured that making the larger version would make for a moister cake and I was right. This cake is fantastic and will become one of my go to cakes when I am in a hurry! The other great thing, you don't have to make frosting!!

Out with the Old & In with the New- Welcoming 2009

2009-01-02T14:41:00.003-05:00

I find myself feeling very reflective this dreary Friday afternoon. As the new year begins and the old one moves out I am excited for new adventures.

2008 was my best year yet. Not because any major event took place, although many did, but because I think I got to know myself better, worried less and generally had more fun. Because of this I am welcoming 2009 with open and excited arms!

This year I resolve to do the following.

1. Become more healthy. Eat cleaner, exercise more, and spend more time outdoors.

2. Find a culinary challenge that really inspires me (suggestions welcome)!

3. To be more green! In 2008 we started composting and grew some of the best tomatoes ever! I also started using canvas grocery bags religiously! In 2009 we will recycle more, cut down on our electricity and water use and walk more!

4. Slow down enough to enjoy the things that I really like to do, even if others don't.

5. Travel

I hope that you all are as excited about the coming year as I am! I think it will only prove to be better and more delicious than the last!

Banana Cranberry Bread......YUMMMMMM!!!!

2008-12-15T21:00:00.002-05:00

I am not one for banana's, you would never catch me eating one plain, but I do enjoy a good banana bread. I had some holiday baking to do for clients over the weekend so I decided on a recipe that I found in my new The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. This is the second cookbook I have purchased from the Test Kitchens and I love it. They test every recipe to find the best variation.

This banana bread recipe calls for plain yogurt which I think really helps to keep the bread moist. As I am sure that I have mentioned (one more than one occasion) I do not like nuts, so I used dried cranberries instead.

This is by far and away the best banana bread I have ever eaten! Peter really likes it to, but says until I add the walnuts in it will not be the best he has ever had....maybe next time! ;-)

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

2008-12-10T20:34:00.004-05:00

I love my crock pot and I tend to use it a lot during the winter when we are craving heartier meals. It is so handy, especially for weeknight meals. There is nothing better than coming home to the smells of something cooking and knowing that all the work is done for you and all you have to do it enjoy!

Tonight I tried a recipe for slow cooker beef stew from my latest cook book purchase (it really is an obsession) The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. The recipe was easy to follow, but I did cheat a little bit and didn't brown the meat before putting it into the crock pot. This was for two reasons, 1. I was too lazy to do it the night before after having just cooked another meal and 2. I really didn't have time to do it this morning before leaving for work. However, the dish was still fantastic and really hit the spot on this dreary, rainy day.

Amish Friendship Bread.....Last Post (I think).

2008-12-03T21:24:00.005-05:00

I have really enjoyed the whole process of making this bread. It was very easy to find the basic starter on the web but finding a winning recipe to make the actual bread was the hard part.

The first recipe I tried was this one which was just OK. The main reasons being that it had few ingredients, lots of cinnamon (YUM) and no nuts or fruits. It made the kitchen smell fantastic, however it was fairly dry and lacked flavor.

Then I was on to the winning recipe. Although this one calls for walnuts (yuck, yuck, yuck), raisins (sort of yuck) and dates (can't say I have tried one but I am thinking they taste similar to a raisin) everything else about it appealed to me, I just left these ingredients out, but I am sure if you are a fan of these it would still be great.

Unlike the first recipe it calls for vegetable oil, applesauce, and instant vanilla pudding all of which would made the bread very moist. What a hit! I made two loafs the first go round and Peter and I basically had it for dinner that night and ate almost all of one. Then I made four more loaves to share with the family for Thanksgiving and I had none left to show for it after people left for the evening.

I will be making many loafs for Christmas gifts this year, I am so excited!!!

Wine, Wine, Wine

2008-11-27T13:01:00.003-05:00

I used to be a horrible baker, I used to claim to "hate" it. However, in actuality I just didn't know how to do it. When I was in high school my mother used to dread when I got the itch to bake because I would make such a mess of the kitchen. One year for my step-father's birthday I decided to make him his favorite lemon poppy seed cake and left out the baking soda so it was a dense disk like cake. It was frustrating, especially being the daughter of an expert baker.

So, in 2007 I vowed to teach myself how to bake. I do not claim to be an expert but I have gotten much better and have a few recipes that I do very well and I continue to challenge myself as a baker. I am also very proud to say that I can bake up just about anything and not make a mess of my kitchen.

In 2008 I wanted a new challenge to add to my culinary knowledge so I decided to take on blogging. My thought was that it would make me think more carefully about the dishes I was making as I challenged myself to be witty and entertaining to create a blog that people would enjoy reading. I am not sure if I have accomplished all of that, however I have really enjoyed blogging and plan to continue with it.

Now, with 2009 quickly approaching I find myself thinking of where to stir my culinary focus. I have not fully decided as of yet, but I think I am leaning towards wine. Not only the drinking of wine (which of course is a plus), but also learning everything about it and how to pair it well with food.

Last weekend the Gilbertson's and the other Kallos' came over to dinner (Italian Pot Roast, YUMMY!) and we tried a new bottle of wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon by Myers Vineyard. This wine is a lot pricey that I would normally buy, about $48, but I decided to serve it as the salesman at the wine store said it was better than Silver Oak at half the price. Silver Oak is a Cabernet that all of us, excluding Peter who doesn't care for wine (shocking), really enjoy. It is about $80-$100 depending on where you go, but it is very smooth, rich and delicious. By far the best wine I have ever put in my mouth.

This new bottle was very good, and I would not turn it down if offered to me again, however it is no Silver Oak. It is not nearly as smooth as the Silver Oak and has a bit more of an alcohol taste than the Silver Oak.

Any opinions on this wine thing? Do you think it is a good challenge for 2009? I would love your opinion.

Banana Cookies

2008-11-23T12:05:00.002-05:00

I had about 5 over ripened banana's that had to be used so I made these delicious banana cookies.

I am not a fan of banana's usually, but I do like banana breads. This cookie is very cake like and has the same flavors of banana bread. I used chocolate chips instead of walnuts (yuck!) and they were great, this is a keeper!

Friendship Bread Starter

2008-11-23T11:32:00.002-05:00

It is ready! Very easy to do, it just takes tending to every day. I have already made several loaves for clients and it seems to be a hit! I will be making a loaf for Peter and I today so we can try it as well.

Amish Friendship Bread

2008-11-11T20:28:00.002-05:00

My friend Traci brought me literally a sliver of Amish Cinnamon Bread that a friend of her had made. She said it was all she could part with but I had to try it. Holy cow was it delicious! I have heard of Amish friendship breads before, but had never eaten or made any myself. So, after eating this very small and very delicious sliver that Traci was able to part with I decided to do some research to make some myself.

The bread begins with a starter made of yeast, flour, sugar and milk. The starter is a 10 day process in which you sometimes add more of the ingredients and you sometimes just stir the mixture. I am currently on day 3 of this 10 day process and I can not wait for it to be done so I can start making breads! Apparently there will be plenty of starter and it is meant to be shared, hence the name friendship bread.

I will keep you posted on the progress.

Old-Fashioned White Bread

2008-11-07T13:54:00.003-05:00

Peter and I (OK.....it was probably for me) received the Williams- Sonoma Cookbook as a 5th anniversary gift and yesterday I made my first recipe out of the book.

I have been wanting to try my hand at bread for awhile now. Peter's dad and his Uncle Peter make some great breads and I would very much like to join their club!

I think this is a great starter recipe for bread. It was very direct and allowed a little room for error. Everything went very well, although I am afraid that I may have burned up the motor in my Kitchaid, and I am proud to say that the dough rose without a problem twice!!!

Very yummy straight from the oven, we will see how it holds up today. I am a little nervous that it may be dry.......we shall see!

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

2008-11-07T13:36:00.003-05:00

I am back to cooking (and blogging) now that life has calmed down a lot!

Yesterday I tested a cookie from Taste of Home- Best Loved Cookies & Bars for the Christmas season. This cookie was very easy to make and I think gives the uh-ah factor that I look for during the holidays. The only thing I will need to do differently next time is melt the chocolate for the top a little bit more so it does not go on so thick.

24 maraschino cherries

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk chocolate chips, divided

1/2 teaspoon shortening

Pat cherries with paper towels to remove excess moisture; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in cherry juice and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Insert a chocolate chip into each maraschino cherry. Wrap a tablespoon of dough around each cherry. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until set and edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt shortening with remaining chips; stir until smooth. Dip tops of cookies in melted chocolate. Let stand until set. Store in air tight containers.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

I miss cooking...and blogging...

2008-10-25T19:54:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately I have not been doing a lot of cooking, and therefore not a lot of blogging this month. I have been busy with all sorts of things, including a class for work that is Friday-Sunday for the past two weekends.

Tonight I am cooking for some friends who just had a baby, lasagna and pineapple coconut loaf cake. I have blogged about both recipes in the past.

Next weekend things should slow down a bit and I will be back in the kitchen! I have plans for several recipes but the one I am the most excited to try is homemade bread!

TTFN!

Italian Chili

2008-10-13T17:19:00.003-04:00

I made this one out of Soups Stews & Chilies a special edition magazine from the editors of Cuisine at Home (love their regular bi-monthly magazine by the way) and thought it might be a good way to start out some cool weather.

The recipe was easy to follow and is filled with things that I thought Peter would just flip for. Italian sausage, pepperoni, beans ect. It filled the house with the beautiful smells of Italian cuisine and I couldn't wait to try a bowl!

Well.......Peter thought it was too rich and didn't finish his bowl.....I never did get a good answer out of him about the actual taste of the dish. I do have to agree with him that it was very rich but it was also pretty tasty, it reminded me of pizza. However, I do not think I will be making it again, it was good but not a keeper.

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches

2008-10-13T16:56:00.003-04:00

If you look to the left on my blog you will see links to Foodbuzz which is a great online community of Foodies like me who like to cook, bake, and dine out all around the country. I joined the Foodbuzz family in March 2008 and I must say I am so proud to be a part of it!

I would like to help them in officially announcing their publisher community! Check it out when you have some time, this is a great place to meet people who love food and to hear reviews and feedback about your local restaurants!

Cheers!

A Seasonal Treat

2008-10-13T09:30:00.004-04:00

Even though I try I just can not seem to break my coffee addiction.....I am just too weak!

Every year around this time Coffeemate releases their Peppermint Mocha creamer and I just can not resist it. I saw it a Publix, on sale for 2 for $4.00 and I just had to buy the last four on the shelf!

Peter was so disappointed in me, he said that I am hoarding coffee creamer like people hoard gas! I say so be it!! This stuff is hard to come by and is only around for a limited time!!

Sage Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw

2008-10-01T08:29:00.003-04:00

DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!

Really, really delicious! Peter is into pork chops recently so I have been looking for creative and healthy ways to fix them and this one is a winner from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger. The classic combination of sage, apples and pork immediately caught my eye and with the addition of carrots and cabbage I had a feeling the dish would hit the spot.

The recipe is fairly easy to put together. I like to prep everything before I start cooking to ensure nothing becomes overcooked. I shredded the carrots into long strips with my vegetable peeler, I thought it gave a nice visual interest. I also must admit that I took some help from the store and bought preshredded cabbage. I love cabbage and cook with it a lot, but often times I find chopping a head of cabbage a little daunting so this is one area that I normally buy preshredded.

The chops which marinate in a mixture of chopped fresh sage, minced garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper for about 10 minutes and then they are browned in the pan. The chops are then removed and the onions, apples and more fresh sage sauteed until soft. Then in go the rest of the veggies with a bit of cider vinegar. This cooks down for a short time and then the pan is deglazed with chicken stock. The chops are then placed back into the pan and covered to simmer for about 5-7 minutes longer. The result is absolutely one of the best meals I have had in months.

At only 330 calories per serving Sage Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw will be a meal made in the Kallos household again and again.

Pasta E Fagioli

2008-09-28T18:40:00.003-04:00

I arrived home around 7:00 PM last evening from my trip to London feeling so happy to have had the experience and homesick all at the same time. London was absolutely fantastic and more beautiful than I imagined. It was also a very busy 10 days at the convention I was attending.

I am fighting a bit of jet lag and feeling a little blue....I think because I am completely exhausted so I thought that a nice comforting soup would be the best bet for dinner tonight.

Pasta E Fagioli from my latest special edition magazine from Cooks Illustrated. The recipe sounded like it would be light enough for the still warmish temperature and comforting at the same time and I was right.

It is filled with tomatoes, beans, onions (I added the chicken because Peter prefers a heartier soup) and a surprising ingredient....anchovy paste! It really did add a great richness to the soup without a fishy taste. Topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crisp prosciutto it really hit the spot!

This one is a keeper and has me in the mood to make more soups. I love Autumn, I can not wait for the air to get crisp and cool, it really inspires me to spend more time in the kitchen.

Heading Across the Pond

2008-09-18T07:48:00.002-04:00

I miss blogging.....feels like I haven't in a long time....really this is because September has been crazy busy and I have not done any interesting cooking. Everything has been easy, on the fly dishes that I make all the time.

Today I am heading to England for a work convention, I am excited! But this means there will probably not be any more posts in September, October will be different, I have big plans to start cooking up a storm!

Cheerio My Friends!

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

2008-09-07T17:00:00.003-04:00

I had big plans this weekend to make coconut cream pie but that fell by the wayside when I found this recipe for one of the best looking cupcakes I have ever seen.

The recipe has many steps starting with the bottom crust.

A mixture of crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter a pressed into the bottom of the tin and then topped with finely chopped chocolate. This is than baked for about 5 minutes to set the crust and melt the chocolate.

The crust is then topped with the cake batter. The batter is not thick at all, it has the consistency of melted ice cream, which worried me at first but everything turned out well. The batter is topped with the remaining graham crackers and chocolate and then baked.

Next comes the marshmallow frosting. I was a bit nervous about making the frosting but it turned out to be very easy.

I then pipped it on top of the cupcakes (I still need some practice at this) and placed them under the broiler to toast.

The cupcakes are delicious! One thing to note is that the recipe says it makes 2 dozen, when in actuality it could probably make about 4 dozen.

Anxious for Fall and New Cooking Magazines

2008-09-03T20:12:00.002-04:00

I have been uber busy recently. Nothing I can complain about, but it has kept me out of the kitchen quite a bit. This weekend (and hopefully next) I plan to change that. I am missing cooking and baking a lot.

Fall is upon us (OK, so it is still hot outside, but a girl can pretend) and I could not be more excited, Fall is my favorite season. The weather is great, the clothes are cozy and best of all it starts the season for all sorts of fantastic foods.

I have two new cooking magazines that I can not wait to make some recipes out of. One is Cooks Illustrated American Classics. I am excited to try the following recipes from this issue.

Crisp Fried Chicken: Who doesn't love fried chicken! I have never attempted it though so it will be a new experience.

Philly Cheesesteak: One of my favorite sandwiches and I think that Peter may like it too.

Coconut Cream Pie: This is one I think I may try this weekend. I really like cream based pies and this recipe looks excellent and the crust is made with animal crackers....very interesting.

The second magazine is a special edition from Cuisine at Home. This is one of those $10 splurges but I love the regular magazine and this issue is filled with Soups, Stews and Chilies which are some of my favorite foods. There are countless recipes in this issue that I would like to try and I am sure I will though out the Fall and Winter seasons. This weekend however, I think I am going to try Kung Pao Shrimp Soup. I already have some shrimp that needs to be used and the recipe seems light enough for the warm weather that is still lingering.

One thing I am worried about with the Kung Pao Shrimp Soup is Sriracha.....what the heck is that!?!?! Looks like it will be Google to the rescue for me on that one, hopefully I will be able to find it in a local grocery store......

BLT's & Copious Amounts of Tomatoes

2008-09-02T19:50:00.002-04:00

We have TONS of tomatoes on our one lone tomato plant. Last night I took about 10 over to the Gilby's for dinner, and I just picked about 60 more......I swear, 60! I will be sharing these with my office mates tomorrow as there is no way that Peter and I would be able to eat all of these tomatoes. And, believe it or not there are still plenty to pick once they are ripe!

Tonight, in an attempt to use up some of the tomatoes we had BLT's for dinner. YUMMY!!! This is one of my all time favorite sandwiches and I love how simple and old fashion they are. Just some great bread, mayo, lettuce, bacon & tomatoes. It doesn't get much better than this!

Foster's Pimento Cheese Spread

2008-08-25T20:51:00.006-04:00

I had this delicious treat over Christmas when Traci brought it for lunch one afternoon when the girls got together to bake. I loved it and have been looking for an occasion to make it again. Saturday was just the day, I co-hosted a baby shower for our good friends Becky & Nate. She is as big of a cheese fan as I am so this was perfect......I wish there had been leftovers!

From The Foster's Market Cookbook pg. 102

1 cup (4 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese *

1 1/2 cup (4 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup (4 oz.) grated smoked Gouda cheese**

1 roasted red & 1 green bell pepper, peeled, cored, seeded & chopped***

1 cup good quality mayonnaise

1 jalapeno, seeded & minced

1 tbls. cider vinegar

1 tbls. honey

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the Cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda, and roasted peppers in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, jalapeno, vinegar, honey, salt & pepper and stir to blend well.

Stir the mayonnaise mixture into the cheese mixture and mix well. Season with additional salt & pepper if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use or up to one week.

Notes

* If you have a food processor use it to shred the cheese, the time saving is unbelievable.

** I used regular Gouda, not smoked

*** I used an oven roasting method for the peppers. Rub peppers with Olive Oil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in a preheated 450 degree oven, turing until the skin is charred. Remove the peppers and cool, then remove the charred skin, stem, core & seeds.

Cheesecake Redemption

2008-08-25T20:43:00.002-04:00

I will not be defeated!!!

I had to give cheesecake a try again, but I decided not to use the same recipe. Instead I used the recipe for New York Cheesecake from my trusty Baking Illustrated Cookbook. I really like this book because it gives several suggestions based on mistakes that the bakers made while trying different methods for each recipe. They do this to find what they feel gives the best final product.

I followed the directions to a T, I took my time and prayed that this go round would be better than the last. I am happy to report that my hard work payed off, the cake turned out beautifully.

I brought it to my father in laws house on Sunday to celebrate his birthday and it was a big hit! I can not wait to make it again and will try some different variations that were suggested as well.

Blueberry Pancakes

2008-08-25T20:34:00.002-04:00

I picked up the most recent issue of Cooks Illustrated last week and I am excited to try almost every recipe in the issue. Most will require some time, which I don't have a lot of at the moment, but one stood out right away as quick and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Blueberry Pancakes on page 43 was what caught my eye. I believe I have mentioned before that I am not usually one for pancakes, however this recipe reminded me of sleep overs at my friend Megan's house when we were little girls. Her mom would make us blueberry pancakes on Sunday mornings and it always made me so happy. Since I had blueberries left from the bag my mother in law gave me last week I decided that this past Sunday would be the day for pancakes.

Delicious! I just loved them and Peter did to, he said "these are better than Pancake House" which is one of his favorite breakfast restaurants, so I knew I had done a good job!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

2008-08-21T08:40:00.002-04:00

My mother in law lives just north of us on several acres and grows all sorts of fresh foods. This year she had copious amounts of blueberries which she picked at the peek of the season and froze. When she came for a visit last weekend she brought me a large bag and I was excited to use them right away.

As you will see from previous blogs this spring/early summer I tried my hand at blueberry pie a time or two. The first time the pie turned out beautifully, the second time....not so good. I think it is do to the hot & humid Atlanta weather in the summer so I decided to hold off on pies until the fall and winter months.

This go round I tried a blueberry crumb cake from Great Food Fast. This is a very easy recipe, the only thing that I was disappointed in was the crumb topping. It didn't come out with the thick crumbs that I was expecting, this may be due to the large amount of topping the recipe made. The next time I will cut that portion of the recipe in half but keep the amount of butter the same to see if that makes a difference in texture.

The cake was delicious. Not too sweet and very moist, it was excellent in the morning with a cup of coffee. This is a keeper, I will make it again for sure!

Hyperlinks

2008-08-17T11:57:00.001-04:00

Whoo Hoo!!!

I finally figured out how to make a hyperlink, no more long complicated looking links on Fabulous Culinary Experiences!!!!

Easy Shrimp & Cabbage Lo Mein

2008-08-17T11:45:00.003-04:00

This recipe from Everyday Food Magazine is a deliciously quick weekday meal.

Asian food is one of our favorites and can at times be labor intensive. This dish gives us the great Asian flavors that we love in under 30 minutes!

the leftovers are also excellant for lunch!

Bing Cherry Sauce

2008-08-16T14:09:00.002-04:00

Even though the cheesecake was a total disaster the Bing Cherry Sauce that I made to accompany it was fantastic! We enjoyed it over ice cream later in the week.

The recipe is very simple and could be made with a variety of fruits. I have used raspberries in the past but blueberries or strawberries would be delicious as well.

1/2 lb. fruit cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

12 oz. jar of fruit jam (preferably the same flavor as the fruit you have chosen)

Heat first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Then add jam and heat until the mixture is reduced by half.

Cool to room temperate and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Lucy and the Bee

2008-08-11T20:43:00.003-04:00

Our poor dog was stung by a bee yesterday, I feel really bad that her poor little face puffed up, but she sure did look cute!

Cheesecake Disaster

2008-08-11T20:02:00.003-04:00

Cheesecake is one of our favorite desserts and I have made cheesecakes before but never one that needed to be baked, so I tried a baked version over the weekend.

I choose this one from Epicurious, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/CHEESECAKE-107432 because of its promise of being light and fluffy rather than dense and creamy.

The recipe seemed easy enough. I had no luck finding orange- flower water so I diluted orange extract with some water. The meringue took much longer to come together (20 minutes) than the recipe said that it would but other than that I had no troubles.

Into the oven it went. I was rather proud at my parchment job and sealing the bottom of the spring form pan like Fort Knox with the foil.

The recipe says to bake for 55-65 minutes or until the top is golden and the cake trembles slightly. I baked it for about an hour, the top was very golden and the cake did tremble a bit so I thought everything was perfect.

Last night my in-laws came for dinner and I was so proud to present my cake. It looked so beautiful, I felt like I was really going to impress everyone. Then I cut into it......

Apparently I did not bake it long enough! We had cheesecake pudding rather than the decedent cake I had hoped for!

What a bummer! All I could do was laugh and try to find the good in it after all that work. Luckily the top of the cake was cooked enough so that we were able to get an idea of how the true cake would have tasted. The flavor was excellent and the texture was what I was looking for which are both positives, so I will just have to try this one again.

Schwartz's Deli- Montreal Canada

2008-08-02T09:27:00.003-04:00

We have just returned from our yearly trip to visit Peter's family in Montreal. We had such a great time and ate A LOT!

Schwartz's is a Montreal staple and our favorite place to have lunch. They are known for their smoked meat sandwich which is so delicious that people literally line up outside the door to get one (no matter the type of weather).

Although the Smoked Meat Sandwich is the main attraction you also need to accompany it with a few of Schwartz's other delicious treats.

The cherry soda is fantastic and one of the only sodas that I will drink with full sugar.

Also, the big dill pickles are a must. Our nephew Riley was not so interested in his smoked meat however, the pickle was a hit has you can see.

And of course who can have a sandwich with out french fries? These are some of the best around.

If you get the opportunity to go to Montreal do not pass this one up!

Weekend Party at the Kallos'

2008-07-21T19:38:00.003-04:00

What a great weekend! We had friends over on Saturday and had a great time, but I have to admit that I was not so good at taking photos this time around. I (of course) was running around chatting with everyone and manning the grill. I did manage however to take a few before the party started.

A quick cheese, prosciutto and melon tray was great for snacking. The cheeses were Dubliner, a great sharp cheddar like cheese, and a wonderful smoked Gouda.

The main dish was ribs (I am so bummed I forgot to take a photo) a recipe/technique I learned from our good friend Cody Bullis. They were great as usual. I made WAY too many so everyone was pleased to take some home for lunch on Sunday.

We also had Asian Cole Slaw which I love and I made the mac & cheese I recently posted about. But, believe it or not, the highlight dish of the night for me was this Layered Summer Salad, http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/layered-summer-salad-75160.aspx.

This salad is full of fresh vegetables and I was able to use more of the fresh basil from the garden. I was a bit worried that it would get soggy by letting it sit with the dressing for 5 hours, however I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Very crispy and cool, perfect for a hot summer day, I can't wait to make it again!

As an added bonus we celebrated Peter, Brian, and Becky's birthday (all coming up this week) with a fantastic Devil's Food cake from Cakes by Darcy, http://www.cakesbydarcy.com/. Everyone loved this cake so much! I can not wait for another excuse to order from this bakery.

A Summer Treasure

2008-07-21T19:33:00.002-04:00

Fresh tomatoes from our garden. Delicious!

Coconut Pineapple Loaf Cake

2008-07-15T19:16:00.003-04:00

YES!!!!! I think I have restored my faith in my baking abilities with this one, phew! I was getting worried that all the skills I gained during the baking year of 2007 were gone.

Found this recipe in the June issue of Everyday Food, and immediately ear marked it. It is deliciously light and sweet. Yum, can't wait to make it again.

Hungarian Delight

2008-07-15T18:53:00.004-04:00

Peter is half Hungarian (and very proud) and I am about a quarter Hungarian, no wonder we're in love! :-) Early in our marriage my father in law taught me to make traditional Hungarian Goulash. It is has always been one of Peter's favorite and now it is one of mine.

Such simple ingredients make a rich and flavorful dish. If you can, make it the day before you want to serve it, it is so much better the next day!

1 Large Onion- Diced
1 Large Green Pepper- Diced
1 Tablespoons Canola Oil
2.5 Lbs. Beef Stewing Meat

3 Tablespoons Paprika

1 Sm. Can Whole Tomatoes
½ Cup Sour Cream & More for Garnish
Salt & Pepper
Water

Heat oil in large Dutch oven and add onions & peppers. Cook until softened but do not brown, about 7-8 minutes.

Season beef with salt and pepper and add to soften vegetables. Brown lightly and then remove from pot.

When beef is removed drain most of but not all of the oil from pan saving the vegetables. Then pour 1 cup water and paprika into pan. Simmer for about a minute scrapping all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add beef back into pot, along with the tomatoes, broken up roughly by hand. Add water until beef is just covered. Bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer pot for about 3 hours or until beef is very tender.

Remove one ladle full of sauce and mix in separate bowl with the sour cream. Add mixture back to pot mixing until smooth.

Serve over small noodles and top with a dollop of sour cream.

A Midsummers Night

2008-07-15T18:49:00.002-04:00

This is how it began.......the ending was not so pretty........

Funny how a beautiful evening and good conversation leads to drinking an entire bottle of Pinot Noir by yourself......

Sunday Cooking

2008-07-06T21:26:00.002-04:00

Peter has been growing a basil and tomato plant for me and I could not be more excited. Both plants are doing excellent, although the tomatoes are not yet ripe enough to eat. The basil plant however is thriving and I took the opportunity to make fresh (and organic) pesto.

The recipe from the Martha Stewart Living- New Classics cookbook was very simple. The pesto made the whole kitchen smell great and I can not wait to try it over pasta for dinner and in an egg white omelet with cheese for breakfast.

It is unbelievable how much pesto this recipe made. According the the directions it will last up to one week in the refrigerator, so I will be sharing some with friends as not to waist any.

For dinner I made King Crab Legs, one of Peter's absolute favorite meals. I have to admit though that I do not make them that often as I find cooking them a bit daunting.

This time though I am happy to report that it was a lot easier. For my birthday (in March) Peter bought me a fantastic new set of aluminum cookware and I have been loving them! The large stock/pasta pot made steaming the crab much easier to manage and cutting them into pieces made for even cooking.

The night was beautiful and we enjoyed the crab on the deck. A great way to end a relaxing weekend, delicious food and a happy husband.

Creamy Salad's for the 4th of July

2008-07-06T21:02:00.003-04:00

I love the 4th of July! It marks the true beginning of summer which means great times with friends and of course delicious food!

This 4th of July weekend was a lot of fun and very busy. We had several parties to go to starting with our annual holiday feast at the office. This year I made pasta salad which is one of my favorite summer foods. I was looking for a traditional recipe with a twist and I think that this one from Foodnetwork.com hit the spot, http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_14130,00.html. It is creamy, crunchy, spicy and satisfying.

The salad as easy to make but had several steps and a lot of ingredients. Also, it should be noted that although the salad is delicious it will do nothing for your breath! :-)

We had two other parties to attend on the 4th and I had plans to make some other treats, however this salad made so much that I had enough to bring to these two parties as well! This one is a keeper, I will make it again for sure.

With one more party left on Saturday the 5th I was out of pasta salad so I made potato salad (my apologies, I forgot to take a photo). This recipe is my mom's which she taught me years and years ago. I LOVE it and make it whenever I have the opportunity.

1 lbs. tender potatoes (I usually use small red potatoes)

1 lg. green pepper- seeded & chopped

2 stalks celery- chopped

3 scallions- chopped

4 eggs- hard boiled & chopped

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1 tbls. garlic salt

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Boil potatoes until tender, cool to room temperature and quarter into bite sized pieces.

In a large bowl combine the potatoes and all the vegetables. In a small bowl combine the mayo, mustard and seasoning, then mix in with the potato mixture. Fold in eggs.

Chill for at least two hours before serving.

A Meal for New Parents

2008-07-01T21:46:00.002-04:00

My co-worker Adam and his wife Kate welcomed their first child to the world on June 21. Little Addisen Brian is just beautiful, but is keeping his parents very busy. So, I thought they would appreciate meals that they could make in a jiffy.

Who doesn't love Macaroni and Cheese! I made this one from Tyler Florence (one of my favorite Food Network hosts) http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29021,00.html and found it very interesting that you infuse the milk with onion, clove, garlic, dry mustard, and thyme before adding it to the rue. The milk smelled delicious!

Then the cheese was added, cheddar and Parmesan. The mixture was thick and creamy.

After baking in the oven I am sure it will be heaven! I will have to make this dish again ASAP so that we can try it too.

A Childhood Memory

2008-07-01T21:35:00.002-04:00

Chicken Chop Suey is one of those dishes that brings back a million memories. Both my mom and my Grandmother Lois used to make this dish for us when we were kids (I am pretty sure that it was from a can, regardless it was one of my favs).

Ellie Krieger does it again! 470 calories per serving, delicious and satisfying, you just can't go wrong.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35583,00.html

I didn't make the the wonton crisps on the top (forgot to get them at the store) so I am looking forward to making this dish again with them.

Pineapple Fast

2008-06-26T08:35:00.005-04:00

I have never done anything like this before, but I am giving it a shot today. For the past few weeks I have been feeling really heavy and just plain gross. I heard about the pineapple fast on the radio and have read a lot about it. It seems to be fairly good for you, will flush out your system and (strangely) is great for the elasticity of your lungs.

So....on this very grey day of working at home, I will be eating nothing but an entire pineapple and drinking lots of water. If I don't absolutely hate it I may try the recommended 3-10 days next week.

I Scream...You Scream.....OK, You Know the Rest

2008-06-24T19:51:00.002-04:00

I LOVE ice cream, and who doesn't?!?! If you are looking for a new flavor I highly recommend Ben & Jerry's - ONE Cheesecake Brownie, YUM!

I swear I did not eat the entire container in one sitting (although it was tempting).

Two for One Special....Far too long since my last post!

2008-06-24T19:31:00.003-04:00

Summer is a fantastic but very busy time. I have been doing a lot of cooking/ baking (among other things) and just have not found much time to post until this evening.

The two most recent meals I have made are both from The Food You Crave (I am totally loving this book by the way) and both were delicious!

The fist, Fettuccine Bolognese filled my pasta craving perfectly! http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36705,00.html

It was rich and delicious, full of flavor, yet didn't leave me feeling heavy as most pasta dishes can. I am not really sure what is going on with my appetite lately, but I seem to be wanting pasta all the time! Luckily my brain seems to be winning the battle, but some days the craving is just too much and I have to give in!

The next is Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin with Sesame Stir-Fried Chinese Greens.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36735,00.html

We love pork tenderloin and I make it often for quick week-night meals. We both prefer it to be cooked on the grill, we find this cooking method gives the pork the best flavor and texture. This recipe really hit the spot and cooked on the grill it was fantastic! The marinade was very light, not thick and syrupy as many of the store bought Teriyaki sauces are. Great meal for a hot summer day!

*** One more note on pork tenderloin- if you have a Costco membership I highly suggest that you pick them up there and freeze the extras. They are unbelievably reasonable at around $15.00 for 4 tenderloins.

Chili- Rubbed Steak Tacos with Cucumber- Avocado Salsa

2008-06-06T08:27:00.004-04:00

Another winner from The Food You Crave! We both loved this one and I can't wait to make it again!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33795,00.html

I would recommend using the the grill rather than broiling, there is just something about the grill flavor that you can't get any other way.

The Cucumber & Avocado salsa is so deliciously light and refreshing that I finished it off with a spoon. I will this recipe often.

The Ranch Beans you see on the plate where not nearly as tasty as the tacos. The recipe also came from The Food You Crave, but they were not that craveable. We found them to be a little pastey and flavorless. I may try to tweak them in the future.

Great summer meal! I recommend making it the next time you have a craving for Mexican food.
Oh, one last little note. I put the dry rub on the meat the night before and let it sit in the fridge to marinate, I think that gave the meat an even better flavor.

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach & Couscous

2008-06-02T08:21:00.002-04:00

Wow, this was delicious! Both Peter and I really enjoyed the flavors and at only 342 calories per serving how can you go wrong?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33557,00.html

Very quick and easy and the smells the dish leaves throughout the house are fantastic! The only thing I changed was the can of chopped tomatoes with their juices, I forgot to buy them so I had to improvise. I had a pint of cherry tomatoes that I chopped up and added half of a small can of tomato sauce and I think that it may have worked out better, the sauce was very rich.

This will be added to our regular weeknight meals for sure!

The Joy of a New Cookbook!

2008-06-01T09:01:00.003-04:00

I just picked up The Food You Crave, but Ellie Krieger who also has a great show on Food Network called Healthy Appetite.

This book is fantastic and I have been on a bender all weekend making recipes. What I like, other than each recipe having it's nutritional value printed with it, is that the ingredients are not outrageous and most I purchase all the time.

Yesterday I started with baked goods (didn't I say I was taking a break from baking....) which both turned out beautifully!

Pumpkin Pie Muffins, which are made with mostly whole wheat flour and just a bit of all purpose came out moist, dense and delicious.

Mocha Chocolate Cake, made with plain non-fat yogurt rather than oil was also fantastic. Again, very moist.

For breakfast I tried the New York Breakfast which is a slice of Pumpernickel bread, whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomato, cucumber, and red onion. My belly and my taste buds were extremely satisfied....I think I may have it again this morning!

I have plans for a couple other recipes today which I will write about later. So far so good, I am loving this book!

I must admit.....

2008-05-28T20:46:00.003-04:00

Baking has always been challenging for me, so in January 2007 I decided that I would spend that year sharpening my skills and becoming good at it. For awhile I thought I was getting there, but recently with all the pie trouble I have been having maybe not. Perhaps I shouldn't be so hard on myself, but really something has happened....maybe I am trying too hard, I am not really sure. So, I have decided I need to take a class on baking this summer. I am keeping my eyes open and am hoping I can find something at a local college or something like that.

Until then, I think I am going to spend some time experimenting with cooking. I am good at cooking, or so I like to think, and it has been some time since I tried something new. I am currently doing some research on healthy summer dishes to try. Any suggestions?

Clean Out the Fridge Stir Fry

2008-05-28T20:25:00.003-04:00

Not to be confused with February post entitled Clean Out the Fridge Pasta. I would have loved pasta actually, I have been craving pasta like crazy for the past two weeks but have been resisting as I have decided it does not go well with my weight loss plan. However, tomorrow I will have to give into this craving as Peter has made reservations at my favorite Italian restaurant, Casa Nuova (stay tuned for blog entry) and I can't wait! Isn't he the best......actually I think he is sick of listening to me say I want pasta. :-)

Back to tonight....I had a lot of veggies in the fridge that had to be used so that they would not go bad so Peter suggestged stir fry.

So I got to work, we had chicken, carrots, celery, scallions, baby bella mushrooms, green cabbage, and soy beans. I made a quick sauce of sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame ginger salad dressing.

Fantastic! I can't wait to eat it again for lunch!

Grilled Pizza, Pie Trouble & Left- Over Bliss

2008-05-26T08:22:00.004-04:00

Long weekends are the best, here I sit in my PJ's, in my living room, on a Monday! Few things could make me happier right now.

On Saturday night a few friends came over and we made individual Grilled Pizzas. Peter and I make these pizza's once or twice a month, we just love them.

Start with a ball of store bought/ pizzeria dough. I use Publix pre-made dough which can be found in the bakery section. Cut into individual portions and roll out. Place on hot outdoor grill for about 3-4 minutes (be careful, you can burn them easily) then flip to brown the other side. Top with desired toppings and cheese and return to grill to melt everything together.

The leftover pizza toppings always find a good use. This time we made omelets for breakfast. Peter's was very boring (nothing new there) with just sausage and cheese. Mine was a crazy mix of all the left over veggies and some feta cheese.

For dessert I tried making this Chocolate Caramel Cream Pie from Martha Stewart Living, http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-caramel-cream-pie?autonomy_kw=chocolate%20caramel%20pie&rsc=header_3.

I have had pie trouble the past few weeks and it is becoming rather frustrating. It all started with the dough.....again. I made it Friday night before heading to bed, everything seemed fine, came together as the recipe said it would and was not wet. Then around 12:30 am insomnia set in so I decided to get up and bake the crust. The only problem being it would not roll out. The dough was firm enough, however it kept cracking into large chunks. I worked at "saving" this dough for about an hour, kneading it, adding water, adding flour, rechilling.....nothing worked. So, I threw it out and started over and had the exact same issues. Finally, I decided to pick up a pre-made crust in the morning and said to hell with it.

Making the filling and the caramel whipped cream topping was a breeze....or so I thought. When I brought it out of the fridge to serve, it looked fantastic. However, when I cut into it, the filling was runny, the texture of pudding. Everything tasted really good but the consistency was not right.

Feeling defeated I called my Mom, who has a degree in the Culinary Arts, explained the entire situation and she thinks that all this trouble really is due to the weather. It has been very wet and humid recently, not ideal weather for making pies. I am going to run with this thought and hope she isn't just being nice to me because I am her daughter! :-)

Opa!

2008-05-18T20:41:00.003-04:00

Several out of town friends were in this weekend for a wedding and the Gilbertson Family hosted a fantastic dinner on Friday night so we could all catch up. All of the food had a Greek theme, which is one of my favorite types of fare so I was very happy.....and full!

For starters we had a Greek salsa made of cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions and parsley which was very fresh and clean. Also, some of the best Feta cheese I have ever tasted, hummus and olives which were all to be eaten with Pita bread which Jeremy had lightly fried. This was all so delicious that I had to force myself to stop eating so that I could enjoy dinner!

For the main course we had grilled lamb chops that I believe just had a bit of olive oil, garlic and rosemary. I am not usually a lamb fan, however this is the second time I have had lamb chops at the Gilbertson's and both times they were delicious! Also, grilled veggies and terrific Greek style potatoes!

The meal and the company were fantastic! Such a great evening.

Oh yeah......I made blueberry pie for dessert (this blueberry pie has become an obsession) and again could not get the dough for the crust to come together right and had to use a store bought crust. I have been researching this issue and I really think it is due to the humidity in the air, I will however not be defeated, once the weather changes I will try again!

Honorary Blog Mention

2008-05-12T10:44:00.002-04:00

My Mother and her friend Laura who lives in Arizona made this lovely tomato and mozzarella salad during their recent visit with purple basil. I have never had purple basil before, but it looks fantastic.

Great job ladies!

Mother's Day Celebrations

2008-05-11T20:51:00.004-04:00

Today we honored the wonderful mother's in out lives.

We stated the morning with brunch at our house with my mom Marion, Peter's mom Jackie, and our sister in law Lindsey. On the menu was ham, roasted potatoes & onions, and fruit salad.

We also celebrated Norman's birthday, his favorite cake is red velvet so I tried my hand at this one from epicurious.com, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/108256.

It was beautiful and the berries really added something. The only downfall was the texture of the cake. The flavor was great, but in reading the reviews many people commented that the texture was a bit dry. I took the advice of others and added a 1/3 cup of oil to the batter, but still found it to be a bit dry.

We were then off to my father in law's house to celebrate with Cristina. I made blueberry pie again and the filling was fantastic! Much better than my last go round and I think this is because the blueberry's are more in season. But for some reason the crust, which I have made several times, did not come together as well. I think it may be due to the wet weather we have been having, I am not sure, but I could not get it to be as firm as it usual is.

Lindsey also made delicious mac & cheese. This is a Kallos family fav and was enjoyed by all.

Lemon Spaghetti

2008-05-04T21:25:00.003-04:00

Tonight, I had planned to make enchilada's (new recipe I am really wanting to try, and will soon) in the spirit of Cinco De Mayo, however since we had Mexican food last night with Lindsey & Riley I decided to go with something a little lighter.

Lemon Spaghetti is a recipe I saw about a year ago on Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. The sauce is made cold in a bowl and the heat from the pasta cooking liquid cooks it slightly.

I cheated a bit and bought a rotisserie chicken to add to the spaghetti, it was a long weekend and I was feeling tired so I didn't feel like taking the time to roast my own chicken as I normally would. We have also enjoyed this dish with shrimp, or on its own with a salad.

1 pound spaghetti

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/3 cup chopped Italian Parsley

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and parsley.

Several Martha Stewart Recipes

2008-04-27T10:08:00.008-04:00

During the past few days I have tried my hand at several Martha Stewart recipes.

The first, All-American Buffalo Chicken Tenders, is from the May 2008 Everyday Food, http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=999a020168339110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=all%20american%20buffalo%20chicken%20tenders&rsc=header_1

Very good and at least gave us the illusion that they are healthier than traditional bar wings. There were several left over, and although they still tasted good, they get a bit soggy in the fridge.

It was then on to Antipasto Salad (also from the May Everyday Food) for lunch at the office. I really enjoyed this as it was not only healthy but fast, perfect for a quick bite at my desk on a very busy Friday afternoon.

And last, but not least, was Chocolate Thumbprint cookies, http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-thumbprints?autonomy_kw=chocolate%20thumbprints&rsc=header_1, which I worked on this morning. I just tasted one and it was very good, however they are not yet totally set so I am not sure how well they will package.

Had fun with all of these recipes and will probably make all of them again.

A Chocolate Lover's Birthday

2008-04-21T18:53:00.007-04:00

A few months ago Traci (a huge fan of chocolate) emailed me this recipe from epicurious.com for Double Chocolate Layer Cake, http://www.epicurious.com/services/referral?messageKey=7de3274fec3510bc1a0b16e35a12277e. She had seen it on the Today Show who was featuring it as the most searched chocolate cake recipe on the site and suggested that one of us make it some time soon. So I took the opportunity to make it for her birthday yesterday afternoon.

I could not find Callebaut chocolate at Whole Foods so I choose Scharffen Berger Semi Sweet instead. The cake came together easily, however I thought I had wax paper but it turned out I didn't, so I improvised and generously buttered the bottom of the pans. This however did make the cakes difficult to remove, next time I will for sure use the wax paper on the bottom as the recipe instructs.

The frosting was a bit difficult, it is a ganache, however the consistency at first was too liquidity, so I put it in the fridge and then it got too firm.....the flavor was good, however it did make it difficult to frost and to make it look pretty. Next time I think I may try a traditional butter cream.

Off we went to La Perilla Mexican Restaurant with cake in tow to celebrate Traci's big day, were we all had great food and cocktails out on the patio, it was such a beautiful day.

Traci & Presley (also a chocolate lover at the young age of almost 3) were eager to try the cake, which everyone raved about. The texture was very moist and the flavor excellent, but I can't seem to figure out why it became so crumbly......oh well, just another reason to try again.

Happy Birthday Traci, I hope it's a great year!

Stuffed Peppers from the Freezer

2008-04-15T15:46:00.003-04:00

Another keeper! This was excellent and again came from The Best of America's Test Kitchen Special Edition magazine.

I have made stuffed peppers before and they have always been good, yet a little soggy after being drenched in tomato sauce. This recipe is not only easy but the pepper are roasted in the oven, rather than baked which I think makes the texture is much better.

Here are the peppers still frozen, ready for the oven.

Here they are after baking.....delicious! I can't wait to make them again!

Stuffed Peppers From the Freezer

Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, minced (about 1 cup)

8 ounces 85% lean ground beef or ground turkey

4 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

salt & pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups cooked rice

1 (14.5- ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

4 red or green bell peppers, cut in half through the stem end (stem left intact), cored & seeded

For Serving

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

For the peppers and stuffing: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook the onion until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the beef, sausage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat begins to brown, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain the mixture in a colander for 1 minute.

Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and mix with the rice, tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 20 minutes.

Spoon the filling evenly into the bell peppers. Wrap each pepper in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of foil. Place in a baking dish and freeze until firm. Transfer to a zipper-lock plastic bag and freeze up to 2 months.

When ready to serve: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut 8 pieces of foil large enough to just cover the stuffing and the peppers and spray with cooking spray. Unwrap the peppers and cover the filling sides with the new foil squares. Using a skewer, poke several holes through the foil. Place the peppers, foil side down, over the vents of a slotted broiler pan top set over a broiler pan bottom.

Brush the peppers with the olive oil and season with salt & pepper to taste. Bake until the peppers are spotty brown, 30-35 minutes. Flip the peppers filling side up, remove the foil, and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let rest of 5 minutes before serving.

Delicous Sunday

2008-04-06T20:44:00.006-04:00

Wow, we just ate the best meal I have created in months! I am so very proud of myself! :-)

We started with Italian Pot Roast a from Cook's Illustrated Special Edition magazine- Best Recipes and reviews 2008.

This recipe was delicious, comforting, and flavorful. I have made countless pot roasts in my day, but always in the Crock-Pot the way my mom always made it. This was my first go round with cooking a pot roast in the oven and it turned out beautifully, served over egg noodles.

Italian Pot Roast

Serves 4 to 6

1 boneless chuck-eye roast (3.5 - 4 pounds)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 pound cremini or white mushrooms, quartered

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (14.5- ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup red wine

1 large garlic heat, outer papery skins removed, then halved

1 large sprig fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the roast on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the roast to a large plate. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions, celery, mushrooms, and tomato past until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, water, 1/2 of the wine, garlic and thyme. Return the roast and the accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place a piece of foil over the pot, cover with the lid and transfer the pot to the oven.

Cook until the roast is just fork-tender, 2.5 to 3.5 hours, flipping the roast after 1 hour. Uncover the pot and let the roast rest in its juices for 30 minutes, skimming the surface fat after 20 minutes. Transfer the roast to a carving board and tent with foil. Remove and reserve the garlic head and skim the remaining fat from the pot. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine to the pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until the sauced begins to thicken, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully squeeze the garlic from the halves and mash into a paste. Add the rosemary to the pot and simmer until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove the rosemary and thyme springs, stir in the mashed garlic, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the meat against the grain into 1/2 inch thick slices, or pull it apart into large pieces. Place cooked egg noodles onto serving platter and top with meat and sauce.

For dessert, Blueberry Pie, YUMMY!!! It turned out excellent as well. I used the Basic Pie Dough from pg. 180 on Baking Illustrated. This is the same recipe I used for apple pie last weekend and it turned out wonderful again.

The filling was from pg. 444 of Martha Stewart Living Original Classics. The only modification made to the filling was I added the inside of one vanilla bean. I bought vanilla beans awhile back and have been trying to think of recipes to use them in before they get dry.

I will have to make blueberry pie again (what a tragedy) and try and figure out how to make the sauce a little bit thicker. It was rich and flavorful, but needs to be a bit thicker.

This was a fabulous Sunday! I cooked pretty much all day and enjoyed the spoils when it was all over, who could ask for more.

A note about Chewy Molasses Cookies

2008-04-05T11:27:00.003-04:00

I prepared the dough before going to bed last night and baked them off this morning. Much better! The dough was far easier to work with. Also, instead of baking 12 cookies per sheet I only baked 6 per sheet. This meant two batches needed to be baked but it was well worth it as the cookies still spread a lot. Flavor and texture are still fantastic, this one is a keeper.

Dinner in the Spring

2008-04-02T20:34:00.002-04:00

I LOVE eating outside, I think it is one of the best joys in life. Tonight was beautiful again, we are hoping the weather sticks around through the weekend, but just in case it doesn't we took advantage of it tonight.

I grilled rib-eye steaks marinated in rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, Montreal steak seasoning, garlic and olive oil. Also grilled up some eggplant for me (more on eggplant later, I think I need to do some experimenting with it) and steamed green beans for Peter.

It was a great evening, just two more days to the weekend!!!

Chewy Molasses Cookies

2008-04-02T20:12:00.004-04:00

On Monday night I got the fever to bake. I recently bought the new Martha Stewart Cookies book and decided to try a recipe from it.

1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling

2 large eggs

1/2 cup unsulfered molasses

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1. Put butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by the molasses and oil.

2. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Cover dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a bowl. Using a 1 3/4- inch ice cream scoop, form balls of dough. Roll balls in sugar to coat, and space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating sheet halfway though, until cooks are flat and centers are set, about 17 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

So.....what did this recipe teach me? To follow directions! Do not be impatient and only chill the dough for 45 minutes, you will get something that looks like this.

They all grew together and literally dripped off of the pan! The good news is that evening when the cookies first came out of the oven they were outrageously delicious! So good that even Peter didn't have one thing he thought could be improved upon, if you know Peter you know what a complement that is for me!

The next morning I packed the remaining cookies up to give to my friend Traci and a co-worker Lynette. Lynette said that they were awesome, had become crisp around the edges, but still chewy in the middle. I am still awaiting what Traci thought. I think I may give them another go this weekend to see if chilling overnight will make a difference in the way that they spread.

Cheddar- Dill Scones

2008-04-02T19:52:00.015-04:00

On Sunday while Peter was at a photography workshop (see his work at www.flickr.com/photos/shizam1) I made Cheddar- Dill Scones which I had seen on a recent episode of Barefoot Contessa, one of my favorite Food Network shows.

Honestly, I can not remember the last time I had a scone, but I do have memories of them being very dense and filling. There we nothing like I remembered, they are light and flavorful and almost remind me of biscuits. I have been enjoying them for breakfast all week.

4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

4 extra-large eggs, beaten lightly

1 cup cold heavy cream

1/2 pound extra-sharp yellow Cheddar, small-diced

1 cup minced fresh dill

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine 4 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Mix the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss together the Cheddar, dill, and 1 tablespoon of flour and add them to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outside is crusty and the inside is fully baked.

Apple Pie....Round Two

2008-03-30T12:55:00.003-04:00

Around Thanksgiving I tried my hand at making apple pie. The pie turned out well, the filling was wonderful but the crust left something to be desired. I added apple pie back to my list to give another go round which I had the opportunity to do Saturday.

The recipe I tried this weekend is from Baking Illustrated. The crust is made with butter and shortening which I think made a big difference, the crust was great. Had a butter flavor and flaky texture.

The filling I think is where this recipe falls short. The recipe warns that they sacrifice appearance for taste, so this I expected. However the filling had way too much liquid, I believe this is due to not macerating the fruit as the recipe suggests. Also, the choice of Macintosh & Granny Smith apples in the recipe made the filling a bit bitter.

I would really like to become good at making pies so I have decided to make them my next challenge. I think I have found a great crust recipe in this go round, but still need to work on the filling. I will also try other flavors as well, any suggestions?

Peter makes Carrot Cupcakes....And I Helped! :-)

2008-03-26T19:48:00.005-04:00

Since I broke my right arm at work last weekend.....who knew the office could be so dangerous.... cooking has been a bit of challenge. I do have a removable brace so I can do somethings, but too much stirring and chopping doesn't work so well. Anyhoo, my dear husband (who is probably afraid of starvation) has been helping out a lot.

On Monday night we made Carrot Cupcakes from Everyday Food. This is a go to recipe for me, it is quick and easy and is one of Peter's favorites.

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=ae20d3deb6a0f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=carrot%20cupcakes&rsc=header_3

They tasted awesome! He did over fill the the papers so they "grew" together but that was OK, it gave them character.

A note about this silicone muffin tin......it sucks!!! Way too flimsy and if you don't put a paper in them you can't get the muffins out. So we chucked it in the trash.

Here is Peter making the frosting for the cupcakes. He didn't want to take my advice about putting more frosting on the cupcake than you really need to make it easier to frost, but what do I know......

He still had a ton of fun.

I think we should make cooking together a regular thing.

Foodie BlogRoll

2008-03-24T12:54:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to become a part of the Foodie BlogRoll. This is a community of different "Foodies" who have all different kinds of blogs and food experiences.

Click on the left hand side of my page to learn more.

Birthday Dinner

2008-03-23T08:57:00.005-04:00

Last night we went over to my In-Laws to celebrate my Mother in Law, Cristina's Birthday. We got to try out my new camera and spend time with the entire family. Everyone had a wonderful time.

On the menu (delicious meal cooked by Steve) was Roasted Pork, Red Cabbage, Mashed Potatoes, and Homemade Bread. We also snacked on cheese and grapes before the big meal.

Caesar Pasta Salad

2008-03-22T09:58:00.003-04:00

The Gilbertson's came over last night for dinner. We had grilled pork chops and Caesar Pasta Salad from epicurious.com, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/109526.

We thought it turned out pretty well. The crunch from the romaine lettuce in with the pasta was very nice. I did read the reviews for this recipe before making it and took the suggestion of adding Worcestershire Sauce to the dressing. I do think it made a flavor difference.

I will keep this one as a light summer dish. I think it would also be wonderful with some grilled chicken.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

2008-03-15T09:02:00.000-04:00

From The Martha Stewart Living~ Original Classics Cookbook.

So here we are again with the breakfast dilemma....pancakes have never been my thing, mostly because you are suppose to eat them with maple syrup which I really dislike. None the less, I had a small carton of buttermilk in the fridge that needed to be used so I thought I would give these a shot also considering that Peter LOVES pancakes.

The dough gets very fluffy and light and the pancakes cook up nicely in a cast iron skillet brushed with a bit of the left over bacon grease. A yummy start to the weekend!

Dinner on the Deck

2008-03-12T23:37:00.000-04:00

We had our first dinner of the season out on the deck tonight. The weather was beautiful, I am really hoping that spring is here to stay!

On the menu

Grilled Pork Tenderloin- marinaded all day in just a mixture of dried herbs with some water and olive oil.

Small Golden Potatoes- quickly "smashed" with a small amount of butter, parsley, salt & pepper

Broccolini- sauteed in bit of olive oil, shallots, and white wine. (Peter REALLY did not like the broccolini, but I did)

Tea Please

2008-03-12T13:07:00.000-04:00

I have recently been thinking about the amount of caffeine I consume in the morning. During the week I drink a large to go mug of coffee on the way to work, not so bad I guess, but on the weekends while I am wondering the house I drink at least a half a pot....or more! This coupled with creamer is not so good.

Peter drinks a lot of green tea, which I like but do not love, I have to add honey, which is not one of my favorites either. However, I had a hot cup of white tea the other day at brunch that had a melon twist that I really enjoyed and it did not need a thing. I went looking for it at the grocery store but couldn't find it. Instead I chose this one with an Asian plum twist and I think it is very good as well.

So, I have decided to cut out the coffee on the way to work and replace it with the tea. I think I will still have my coffee on the weekends......I really do love the stuff.......and will try very hard to limit myself to two cups. Wish me luck!

Monday Morning Breakfast

2008-03-10T16:37:00.000-04:00

I am not feeling so good today, so I am very grateful to be working from home. This is such a great perk to working for my company.

Since I wasn't battling traffic this morning I had time to make an egg white omelet with mushrooms, peas, canadian bacon and mozzarella cheese. Also found a plum in our fruit basket that was so ripe and delicious that I ate all of it and only half of the omelet!

Note the beautiful plate given to me by my father in law and his wife Cristina who brought it back from Mexico.

Brownies

2008-03-09T22:45:00.000-04:00

This weekend I tried my hand at the Chewy, Fudgey, Triple Chocolate Brownies in Baking Illustrated. There were two reasons I chose this particular recipe. First today is our friend Mandy's birthday, she loves brownies so I wanted to make them for her. Second my Aunt Cathy sent me this awesome brownie pan for my birthday that I just had to try out. It is called the Bakers Edge Brownie Pan and it gives each and every brownie at least two crispy/chewy edges which I love.

The recipe calls for three types of chocolate, unsweetened, semisweet, and cocoa powder. You melt the chocolate with one stick of butter before adding to the eggs, sugar, vanilla and only one cup of flour. Due to the minimal amount of flour I expected the brownies to be very fudgey (which is how I like them) but they turned out somewhere in the middle of fudgey and cakey leaning more towards cakey. They were very tasty but I was not happy with the texture. I am wondering if they may have baked too long. The instructions for the pan warns that the brownies will bake much faster than those baked in traditional brownie pans. I think I will try this recipe again with the new pan and with a traditional pan to see if that makes a difference.

The pan did make a cool design which is photo worthy. I really like the pan a lot, just need to do some experimenting and adjust the cooking time. Cathy also sent me a peanut butter brownie recipe that she created that I will make for Peter sometime soon.

Thank you Aunt Cathy for such a cool gift!

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2008-03-04T17:36:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday was so beautiful, the weather was perfect! My parents and brother came over to celebrate my birthday. They brought me my favorite flowers, tulips, which made me so happy.

I grilled out for the first time this season and and we all enjoyed a Sunday Afternoon beer on the porch, Lucy included! I am so looking forward to spring!

Saturday Evening with Great Friends

2008-03-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

Last evening Peter and I had several friends over to spend some time with Jun, a friend who now lives in NYC. Everyone had a great time and the kids (OK, and the adults) were up way past their bed time.

The food was excellent as always, we do have some great cooks in this group. Unfortunately I did not take photos of everything.....I need to get better about that. But we had beef and cheese roll ups, spinach & artichoke dip, white pizza dip, mac & cheese, and ham & cheese tarts. Delicious!

For this gathering I tested out two recipe's out of my new cookbook Baking Illustrated.

Classic Oatmeal raisin.

Personally I am not a big fan of Oatmeal Raisin (especially the raisin part) however these looked great and the recipe was thorough and easy to follow. They were gobbled up pretty fast and the boys even got into the secret stash with extras that I had in the pantry.

Thick & Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies

Now this one is more up my ally. These cookies are boarder line sinful!! Moist and chewy they are almost brownie like. Also, the chocolate flavor is spot on. This recipe was again very thorough and I am really enjoying the notes before every recipe in this book, it helps to ensure the recipe turns out well every time. This one was a bit more difficult to put together, several steps are involved and then the dough has to rest for 30 minutes before baking.

I also put together an antipasto platter with all sorts of treats. Prosciutto, Salami, Olives, etc. The cheese was an Irish Cheddar with Porter and was surprisingly tasty, although not as appealing to the eye. I also made an herbed goat cheese from the Dinner Party's magazine I picked up last weekend which also turned out well.

Commenting

2008-02-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Many people have asked how to leave comments on my posts. This is easy to do. At the end of each post is a comment link, just click this and fill in your comment. I would love to hear what you have to say!

Clean Out the Fridge Pasta

2008-02-26T21:30:00.000-05:00

This is a first for me, I am actually writing this blog as I am making dinner......let's pray I don't burn anything!

Tonight I am making what I call "Clean out the Fridge Pasta".......I know, I know....... very Rachel Ray of me and for this I apologize. I do this once a month or so when I do not have a meal planned. Although this particular Fridge Pasta is loosely based off a recipe in Everyday Food called Rigatoni with Sausage & Parsley and when I say loosely I mean that, basically the similarities end at sausage and parsley.

Tonight the treasures I am working with are of course pasta, mini-ziti to be exact, red onion, green pepper, freshly grated Parmesan, hot turkey Italian sausage and left over prime rib which I made on Sunday night. For the sauce pinot grigio with a tad of butter. Delicious!

My last post of the evening

2008-02-26T00:02:00.000-05:00

Three post in one night, that is a record for me but I wanted to make sure to get all my thoughts down.

I can not wait to find some time this week/ weekend to make some recipes from my two new resources.

Yesterday I picked up Dinner Parties, from the editors of Fine Cooking. It is one of those special edition magazines and I want to make just about every recipe in it!

And the other Peter gave me as an early birthday gift. Baking Illustrated, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine, a book I have been wanting for some time. It is full of great recipes but also gives amazing information on what to do and what not to do with every recipe. I am ecstatic about this book!

My never ending quest for exciting breakfast food

2008-02-25T23:55:00.000-05:00

I have decided that I LOVE breakfast food, really I do.....and why is this surprising? Basically because I have struggled with the first meal of the day my whole life. For much of my almost 29 years I did not eat breakfast at all. But, for about the past year, I have been trying very hard to eat breakfast and not just drink a half pot of coffee.

The challenges for me are many. I am really not hungry for at least an hour or two after waking up, I don't like cereal, and I do not have a lot of time in the morning to prepare breakfast. I also go back and forth with eggs, well at least I used too until I discovered that I really just don't like scrambled eggs (unless they are covered with a generous amount of cheese), but I really do enjoy eggs over medium with toast, or an egg white omelet.

With all of that being said I am constantly looking for new breakfast recipes that I can make ahead and will still keep me interested in eating the meal. Yesterday I found one of my best yet on epicurious.com. It is Breakfast Risotto, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/240748. I have never made risotto before and I can't wait to do it again, what fun! I took some of the suggestions in the comments section and added the liquid slowly as you do with traditional risotto. Also, this morning I topped it with an over medium egg......DELICIOUS! So good actually that I thought about it all day and had it again for dinner!

Before the liquid is added.

Half way through adding the liquid.

Finished product.

Atkin's Park Tavern

2008-02-25T23:38:00.000-05:00

Saturday evening we enjoyed dinner with some neighbors at Atkin's Park Tavern, http://www.atkinspark.com/, in near by Vickery Village.

I love this "village" and we seriously thought about buying a home in the neighborhood and then thought better of it due to the amount of house you get for the price. There is no denying however how beautiful the entire community is and we feel lucky to live with in just a couple of miles so that we can take advantage of the shops and restaurants.

Jennifer and I had the fish special and it was Divine! Probably one of the best fish dishes I have ever eaten. Unfortunately, I can not remember what the fish was but it was very similar to Sea Bass and was wrapped in apple wood smoked bacon and served on a bed of sauteed spinach and tomatoes as well as roasted red potatoes. The dish was finished with a light soy ginger sauce that I thought was excellent.

Peter got all adventurous and had the chicken fingers! I thought they were tasty, he thought they were good but kind of slimy. Not sure where slimy came from, I didn't think that at all. To each their own I guess.

Andrew had the blackened chicken breast, also looked good.

It was a nice evening and I look forward to eating here again soon.

Hoping for Spring and Catching Up on Bloging

2008-02-17T21:31:00.000-05:00

It has been a hectic couple of weeks and I have not found as much time to blog as I would have liked. So....on this very raining and fairly lazy Sunday afternoon I am sitting in front of the fireplace, (while the cool weather is still around) enjoying a delicious glass of pinot noir and catching up on updating the blog.

Our nephew Riley, here he is looking like such a big boy, is having surgery in the morning to correct his skull which has fused too early.

So several of our girlfriends have gotten together to make dinners for Max & Lindsey during the next week and a half or so to make life a bit easier for them while they care for Riley.

Tonight was my night, as they have several out of town guest in for the night to offer their support. Much of the weekend was spent cooking in preparation for a meal to feed a crowd. On the menu: Lasagna, Salad, & Lemon Vanilla Bundt Cake.

I made the cake Saturday, which I found in the March 2008 Everyday Food, http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=116ef011250f7110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=lemon%20ginger%20bundt%20cake&rsc=header_1. I know this recipe is called Lemon Ginger Bundt Cake, but when I began to make it I went looking for the crystallized ginger I thought I had and could not find it, so in it's place I used the inside of a whole vanilla bean.

The batter came together nicely and was very thick.

It baked up beautifully golden in about an hour. I really like that there is no frosting on this cake, just a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Here is the cake before I cut it into slices, it made a lot., probably enough for 10-12 servings.

I did steal a little nibble this morning just to make sure it was good. I thought it was great, not too sweet and perfectly dense. Also very moist from the sour cream. I will make this one again for sure.

Then it was on to lasagna.....I love lasagna, actually I really love it, and people seem to like my recipe as I am asked to make it often. But I have to say it is a task, not because it is especially difficult, but because it takes a good bit of time and makes a mess of the kitchen. So I do not make it very a lot however, the end result is always worth it so I suppose I will quit complaining now...

What makes my lasagna different? I think it is the cheese, which I always grate myself rather than buying it pre-shredded. I use a mixture of Parmesan, Gouda, mozzarella, and cream cheese. The cream cheese really lends a richness that I think is wonderful. I also use ricotta which I mix with any assortment of fresh herbs, today I used parsley and basil, and a beaten egg. Here are the beginnings before I began layering.

I made the lasagna for Max & Lindsey in my roasting pan as they will have about 8 for dinner tonight and I wanted to make sure they had enough to go around.

Then the layering began, including the pan I made for Peter and I. He does not care for ricotta cheese and prefers hard boiled eggs in it's place......don't ask people, I just work here.....

As is common for me, I made too much and had enough ingredients left to make a 9x9 pan of for the Gilbertson's so we took it over to them, along with some of the cake this afternoon. As always it was great to see them. When we came in Presley asked Mr. Peter for a little girl to play with. She just welcomed her new baby brother and was asking for a baby sister, Jeremy & Traci told her that she would have to get with Peter and ask him to start working on that for her. Score one for Presley, I will have to remember to make her a special treat next time I see her, probably something with chocolate! :-)

Anyhoo.....here is everything ready to go to the "other" Kallos household. I missed seeing Riley when we dropped off the food because he was down for nap, but I did get to spend time with him last evening and kissed his sweet little head no less the a hundred times. I am hoping that the kisses and the food will bring a little joy, and also take some of the stress off before tomorrow morning.

A Couple of Nights Before Valentine's

2008-02-16T18:00:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day was a crazy one for me as I had a long day trip I had to take for work. So a couple of nights before I cooked for Peter and went out for pizza and a movie on Valentine's day to make things easy. I also did some baking for co-workers.

Made Moo Shu Pork (didn't mis-spell this one, this is how it is spelled in the mag.) from the Jan./Feb. 2008 Everyday Food Magazine. These recipes can usally be found on http://www.marthastewart.com/, however I am not finding it, so if anyone doesn't have this issue and would like the recipe, please let me know.

Here are the beginnings of the Moo Shu Pork, really very easy to make, it is basically a glorified stir-fry.

We both really like this one, I even put the mushrooms in and Peter picks around them. :-)

Then I moved on to making Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and Blondies for my co-workers.

I cheated a bit for Sherri's gift and bought a boxed Gluten-Free cookie mix. I am always concerned that I will use something with gluten by mistake when cooking for her so I thought this would be the fool proof way to go. I did doctor up the mix with some extra chocolate chips because the mix didn't seem to have very many.

Here the one I used, I bought it at Harry's Farmers Market.

They came out great I thought, found it interesting that they did not spread out. I shared one with Peter and we both thought they tasted good, a different texture than a normal chocolate chip cookie. Sherri also gave them rave reviews and gobbled them up quickly threatening anyone who came to close, so I think that I will call this one a success.

The blondies are the same from my Taco Sunday post a few weeks ago. Here they are all packaged and ready to go. Not much feed back from the co-workers on these, so I am going to assume they were OK since no one was out sick! :-)

Cookies & Cakes...Oh My!

2008-02-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

Spent sometime baking last week which I used to dread and now really enjoy. Unfortunatly it is not too friendly to the waist line so I try and share my creations with others.

I started with Chocolate Chip Cookies for some clients who were coming in for lunch at my office. Used a recipe that I recently found on epicurious.com that I loved so much I shared it with some of my girlfriends, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/108703. The key to this recipe I have found is to under bake them just a bit. This way you get a chewy inside and a crispy outside which is the way I like them.

This go round I made the large cookies that the recipe suggests. Although they are beautiful I have to say the cookies were WAY too big. I would suggest making them the more traditonal sizes. Also, a thought, due to the texture of these cookies I think they would be great for making ice cream sandwiches, I think I will try that this summer.

I also made the Red Velvet Cupcakes from January's Cuisine at home.

These were excellant, the cake was moist and delicious. I ran out of red food coloring so they were not as red as would have liked, but this did not make a difference in taste.

The frosting was the most interesting part, it was a white frosting that called for you to make to a rue with milk and flour which is then chilled. After the rue is completly chilled it is added to 5.....yes 5.....sticks of creamed butter and sugar. It was wonderful, has a great texture, sort of like stiff whipped cream, and was not overly sweet. The recipe made WAY too much frosting, I think it was a good amount for a full sized cake but too much for the 24 cupcakes so next time I think I will half it.

I am happy to say that everyone enjoyed them. I let our neices Isabel, Sophia & Amelia frost them as I took them for dessert at my father in laws house. Here is their handy work......absolutly georgous! :-)

Spelling....My Apologies.....

2008-02-07T23:11:00.000-05:00

I have to apolgize for my last two posts, I know there are spelling errors as I am probably the worst around. Unfortunatly there is a problem with the spell check in this blog software.....or maybe it is user error, not sure which. I am trying to correct, but in the mean time please bear with me.

Where the Columbines Grow

2008-02-07T22:58:00.000-05:00

Peter and I spent the first weekend of February in Denver Colorado with our good friends and newlyweds, Angie & Nate Middleton. We absoulty love them and Denver and always have a great time when we are there, it is such a beautiful place.

Saturday was a big day for us! We started out with breakfast at Cafe Terracotta, http://restauranteur.com/cafeterracottalittletoncom/, a great little place that Angie and Nate introduced us to when we were in town for their wedding in May.

The last time we ate there was during lunch and I had the Terra Cotta Cobb which was delicious and I have recreated several times at home. I am a sucker for bacon and bleu cheese so this was a no brainer for me! This time we were there for breakfast and we ordered Bloody Mary's due to the promise on a wall plaque that they won first place in the annual Litteton, CO Bloody Mary contest.....here it is, it sure does look pretty, but I have to say we were all disappointed in them as they were fairly bland. Nate tried to doctor them up with A1, this helped....but still not that great. The food however was excellant!

I enjoyed the House Fittata......after being scolded by Nate.....I guess I didn't realize that when we were conversing about the menu and he mentioned this tasty dish that it meant no one else could order it....he and Angie both (guess she didn't care about breaking the rules) seemed happy with their choices and each had The Louthan House Special which looked great. Unfortunatly the photo I took of their food was far to blurry to share.

Peter enjoyed his Meat Lovers Omlete.....what's not to love when you have an abundance of fat and salt all on one plate! Happy husband for sure!

After breakfast we stopped by to visit Angie's mom Christine and her new puppy Windsor. What a cutie this little yellow lab is! Even Peter melted and commented how much he would love a puppy......I think I am still going to hold out for a baby instead! :-)

Saturday evening we hit the town! We took the light rail, I really wish we had one this nice and convient in Atlanta, to downtown Denver where we stopped at several great places.

The night started out with a drink at the Jet Hotel, http://www.thejethotel.com/, which has a very swanky lobby. Peter accidently may have insulted the bartender, that I have a good feeling was homosexual, when he was asked where he would like to sit and he answered by saying over there so we can "gaze" out the window..... a bit of tense moment, which was completly unintentinal, I am pretty sure there were no hard feelings.

We were then off for a light dinner and martinis at The Cruise Room, http://www.theoxfordhotel.com/cruise-room.html, located in the Oxford Hotel. This place was great and screamed 007, I was expecting to see Pierce Brosnan at any moment.

I had a pear martini which was very lovely and not too sweet. We also shared some appetizers which were delicious. Crab & Shrimp Tater Tots, which I hope to be able to recreate at home, and Baked Brie with Roasted Garlic, Olives, and Roasted Red Peppers.....heaven! And in case you are wondering, there is nothing wrong with my camera, the entire room was lit in red light, great ambiance here.

We were then off to the Wynkoop, http://www.wynkoop.com/, a local brewery that we played pool at during one other visit to Denver. However this time, after having a brew in the bar we were headed downstairs to watch improve comedy at Impluse Theater. I am happy to say almost all of our suggestions were used in the act and we have out 5 minutes of fame for the evening.

We had a great night, it was so nice to hang with Angie & Nate and to see the sites in downtown Denver!

Sunday we stayed in and watched the Super Bowl and the whole crowd was happy that the Giants won! We had lots of great football food, spicy cheese dip, chili dip, shredded chicken sandwhiches, and meatballs. Unfortunatly I was far too busy....OK, I forgot....to take any photos of the food, but I assure you everything was delicious.

Angie & Nate, thank you again for yet another memorable weekend, we can't wait to see you soon in Atlanta!

Steve's Shrimp Spaghetti

2008-02-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

This is a dish that my father in law Steve has been making for us for about as long as I have been a part of this family. Peter and I both really enjoy it. Here is the recipe exactly how he sent it to me in an email from March 2004.

Ingrediants

1.5 lbs. shrimp
2 minced garlic cloves
1/3 cup brandy
3 cups tomato sacue
1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes
1/3 cup heavy cream

Clean Shrimp
Fry in 2 tbls. olive oil to which garlic cloves are added- watch you don't burn the garlic
Add dried red chile peppers
When shrimp states to get reddish, add brandy, and allow alcohol to burn up

Remove shrimp from pan; keep stuff in bottom of pan
Add tomato sauce to pan; add cream

Cook for seven or eight minutes
Add shrimps back to sauce
Add spaghetti- if shrimp sauce needs to be diluted, can use spaghetti cooking liquid

A bit of a rough recipe I know, but it really is very easy and tasty. I usually make an entire box of spagetti as this makes a lot of sauce

Korean - Spiced Beef & Cabbage

2008-01-29T19:33:00.000-05:00

YUMMMYYYY!!!!!

Tonight is the second time I have made this recipe and we both love it. It is super simple and quick to make, perfect for weeknights. I found it in the Jan/Feb '08 issue of Cooking Light, it actually calls for you to make a dough and mix the filling in to make a roll. This seemed it would take too long for a week night so I decided to serve over rice instead, maybe I will try the dough sometime....

1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup low- sodium soy sauce
1 tbls. sesame seeds
1 tbls. dark sesame oil
1 tbls. dry sherry
2 tsps. sugar
1/4 tsps. black pepper
1/4 tsps. minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsps. minced garlic
1/8 tsps. crushed red pepper flakes
1 lbs. ground sirloin (lowest fat content you can find, I use 93/7)
1 tsps. peanut oil
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a large skillet with peanut oil over medium heat. Add beef mixture to the pan; cook 8 minutes or until fully browned. Stir in cabbage; cook 4 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

Serve over white rice with a drizzel of soy sauce.